Poink!

My guess, $150

Reply to
Ignoramus6291
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Low volume item , bet it's closer to double that .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

I can get a new 1982 VW Rabbit rad for as low as $60 from Busbarn.com . It might be worth some custom installation time at that price.

Reply to
Stupendous Man

Poink! The sound of getting thumped on the forehead.

Old radiator is terminal. The guy said every time he'd patch a hole, a new one would pop out. I was thinking that the rust I could see through the ports was quite extensive.

Care to guess what a new one costs?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

???? how does a brass and copper rad rust ???? (rust is iron oxide)

????? what ports ?????

If there was rust in the rad it could only have come from the block and would seem to indicate that it was filled with probably very old and under strength coolant which did not properly protect from corrosion. Do not be surprised if you have water pump problems. Impeller corrosion is not common but is possible with poor coolant, and old coolant often accompanies failed water pump seals. Severe corrosion in the block will probably require an aggressive flushing agent to remove rust and scale. There are several different pumps used on these engines, The main difference is the dia. of the shaft which can cause real problems as the pulley is a press fit. Rebuild kits are available but are expensive. If you buy a rebuilt pump, I would suggest you keep your old core.

If the corrosion was not due to iron rusting, then you may have a stray electrical problem causing electrolosis. IIRC it is much more common with aluminum radiators and is often caused by poor grounds or starter wiring but YMMV. I have never heard of it being a problem with copper rads in welders but YMMV.

Did your rad guy not give you a quote for both a new recore, and a new rad?

Just my .02

Reply to
Private

IMHO this would be a big mistake. IMHO a non stock incorrect rad and / or butchered case mounts will substantially (-$1,000 min) depreciate the machine to any future buyer AND will make any current owner look like a farmer who is likely to do substandard work. Tradesmen are often judged by the condition of their tools. These welders are selling in my area for $4,000 +++ (well used) and IIRC a new one is >$10,000. This is a good high quality machine with a devoted cult following and IMHO is worth reconditioning properly.

Just my .02, YMMV

Reply to
Private

$350

At this time, I'm ready to paint it and put it back together, and make some money with it. The most important question I always ask when my welder is down is, "When will it be ready?"

YMMV. And probably does.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I would certainly go for a second opinion Steve. In my experience, it's not common for a radiator to be scrapped for leaks due to corrosion, or because new leaks pop up every time you fix another. Not impossible, but certainly not the usual.

I think it is much more common to loose them due to blockage, or damage caused while trying to rod out the channels. Bad channels are soldered closed on each end, and if you loose to many, it's time to recore or replace. You usually arrive at this point after you have lost enough cooling area that over heating is a problem. YMMV.

$350 does sound about right for a recore though, if that is truly what you need. The last time I had one done it was $200, back in 91. I notice someone on the web was offering new ones for $520 or $575, for the 200 and 250 amp respectively.

Reply to
Maxwell

I have not priced a new rad, but am not surprised at $350. I do suggest that you shop around a bit as these are not a really uncommon rad and suspect that you can save some money by looking and buying carefully. If you are lucky someone here may have a good source to recommend. A previous poster's suggestion that you do the flushing work with the old rad may be good advice if you decide to do an aggressive flush.

$350. may seem like a lot of money compared to the price you paid for the welder but the seller may have known or suspected of the problem and could be part of the reason they were willing to sell cheap. Most bargains come with some baggage, and even after this repair (and several more possibles) you still have an excellent machine at a bargain price. A (correct) new rad will increase the value of the machine and should mean you will not have this problem for some time, keep thinking of this project as a half life refit. Comparing the cost relatively, the new rad can be paid for with less than 1 days welding profit, is only 10% of the market value of the machine, and is less than 100 hrs of fuel and oil.

IMHO this type of repair is why it is best to use equipment that you have used and maintained regularly yourself, rather than buy and sell often looking to upgrade to a better machine.

Good luck, YMMV

Reply to
Private

. . . . . With the price of copper about $4.00 / lb., I think $350 would be a steal for such a limited quantiy item.

Reply to
theChas.

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